Gird Up Your Loins

That phrase means prepare for action by tucking up flapping robes into your belt/girdle . My action here is cooking - I prepare by putting on an apron. I'm a very enthusiastic, messy, splashy sort of cook

Here's Miguel Barclay's Pork Stroganoff from his "£1 Meals" which I reviewed recently. Sorry, we ate ours before I took the picture, this is from the book! It was delicious, I will definitely serve it again. It was easy to multiply up the quantities for two people. 

Pork stroganoff  Serves 1 

• ½ mug of brown rice
• 1 mug of water
• ¼ onion, peeled and diced
• Olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
• 1 pork loin chop (about 100g/ 3½oz), cut into strips
• Salt and pepper
• A handful of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 100 ml (3½fl oz) single cream 
• A handful of spinach 

Put the rice and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, cover then simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
While the rice is cooking, gently pan-fry the diced onion in a splash of olive oil over a medium heat. After 3 minutes, add the garlic then the strips of pork. Season and continue to cook for a few minutes.
When the pork is starting to brown, add the mushrooms and paprika then continue to fry until the pork is cooked through.
To finish the dish, add the cream and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then stir in the spinach and, once it has wilted, serve with rice.

Comments; I used a couple of pork loin steaks from Iceland which I had in the freezer. They were quite large. I had some small homegrown shallots in the garage which I used in lieu of half an onion, and some homegrown spinach in the freezer. The cost for two of us came in around £2.56.

Next time I'd use less meat [Lidl fresh pork loins are smaller but cheaper] and certainly for four of us, 2½ or 3 of the Iceland steaks would provide adequate meat. I think the cost could be brought down  a little. It wasn't quite 'saucy' enough - Bob suggested a little more cream or a splash of stock or water.

I reckon the cost would come in at around £1.25 a portion, and considering the book was written seven years ago, that is quite fair imho - especially as it is good enough to serve guests!

Thank you all for your kind words yesterday. Our journey to Leicester and back went smoothly. It was good to see old friends again, albeit at a sad occasion. Steve appears to be bearing up well, and receiving lots of support.